Grizzlies to recognize James Johnson with tattoo night

You've heard of bobblehead nights to salute a player. But how about a tattoo night?

You've heard of bobblehead nights to salute a player. But how about a tattoo night?

On Feb. 21 against the Clippers, the first 5,000 fans to arrive will receive a special neck tattoo that spells out "Grizzlies" to celebrate James Johnson, and his surprisingly productive addition to the team.

Johnson got a tattoo of the words "NAYMIN 3.9.13" on his neck last March. It was in honor of his son, Naymin, who was born six weeks early and was fighting for his life in intensive care.

"Life changed for me after that," Johnson said. "Life wasn't about only me anymore. After that day, the head on my shoulders was different from what it was before."

Naymin pulled through, and Johnson said his son will turn 11 months old on Saturday, already weighing 24 pounds.

"The tattoo he got wasn't a symbol of toughness," Grizzlies chief operating officer Jason Wexler said. "It was a transformational moment in his life, and that resonates with our fans and fits in with everything we are."